What’s New: In Brief (April 01, 2009)

Volunteer firefighters and first emergency responders in Saskatchewan are now allowed to use flashing lights and sirens on private vehicles and drive contrary to the rules of the road when it is safe to do so.
Saskatchewan has changed its legislation to allow volunteer firefighters and EMS responders a means to react with urgency in an emergency situation.
“The use of lights and sirens will help ensure the safety and security of Saskatchewan citizens when volunteer firefighters and first responders are on the job,” Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister Darryl Hickie said.
Driver training is a key requirement of the new regulations. Firefighters must successfully complete an Emergency Vehicle Operators course before they can use emergency lights and sirens on vehicles.
The Saskatchewan Office of the Fire Commissioner will be the only agency that can train and certify drivers to meet the new regulations.

Police in B.C. will now be able to watch and listen to auto thieves in real time with the introduction of the Bait Car Live program.
Previous bait car technology did not allow for live monitoring; police could only view the tape after the vehicle was stopped. Officers were not able to determine how many suspects were in the vehicle, what they were planning, or if they were armed.
“Stopping a stolen vehicle can pose great danger to police because a suspect could have a gun, or there may be more than one person involved,” said Sgt. Gord Elias of the Integrated Municipal Auto Crime Team (IMPACT). “Bait Car Live allows a dispatcher to watch and listen to everything going on inside a bait car as it happens, and relay that information instantly to the responding police unit.”
“Since launching the bait car program in 2003, we’ve seen auto theft claims fall by about $40 million,” said Donnie Wing, ICBC’s senior vice-president of insurance, marketing and underwriting. “It’s one of the reasons why ICBC has been able to lower optional insurance rates 17% over the past five years.”